A few months ago, Google announced that they are starting to use the mobile version of websites for indexing and ranking purposes. This change recognizes that more and more people are using mobile devices to perform internet searches to the point that Google believes its primary users are now mobile. How does it affect Small Business Website Owners?

​How does Google Mobile-First Indexing affect my small business website?Google is the king of the search engines and they do not have any intention to lose their leadership position. This means that this transition to Mobile-First Indexing will be progressive and coordinated. Google already announced that the transition will be done by waves with the websites that follow the best mobile practices going first. Website owners will be notified via email when their website gets migrated.

What if I do not have a mobile website?According to Google, they will continue to have one single index for serving search results. Historically, the desktop version was indexed, but increasingly, the mobile version will be used. If you only have desktop content, your website will continue to be indexed, at least for now…

Are non-mobile compliant websites being penalized?According to Google, content gathered by Mobile-First Indexing has no ranking advantage over mobile content that’s not yet gathered this way or desktop content, at least for now…

What should I do next?For some time, Google has been encouraging webmasters to make their content mobile-friendly. The Google Mobile-First Indexing initiative is a strong signal that the future of the web is mobile.

In addition to your mobile visitors that could use a website that displays well and is easy to use on a wide variety of screen sizes, Google is about ready to slap your fingers for not having a mobile compliant website.

At Alco Web Design, we have the expertise to create or analyze a mobile version of your website. For help or more information, call us at (920) 850-4642 or fill in this contact us form, we would be happy to help.

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About the Author

​My name is Alain Houle. Since the late 1990s I own and operate Alco Web Design LLC from my home office in Greenville Wisconsin. I specialize in creating professional and cost-effective websites for small-business owners in the Appleton Fox Valley. I love to help local entrepreneurs grow their businesses. Contact me now!